The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-02-11

CHAPTER XI.
"The thing is how to discover him.
Those fellows nowadays are SO difficult
to unearth, and our detective system is SO
painfully inefficient"
81 don't want him." says Millicent,
who is looking very pretty and fragile
in her invalid gown of white cashmere
and lace. 81 only want my sapphires.
l was saying to auntie only this morning
what very remarkable thing it is, that
both Lady Valworth-your mother
and should have been made prey of
burglars"
"Odd The same thought struck me
only this morning." says Grant, show
ing all his white teeth as he smiles.
C'What a bite he could give" thinks his
fiancee, watching him. Quite a coinci-
dence ell? But it must be acknowledged
your loss is even greater than hers.
Those sapphires were unrivaled and will
fetch a high price anywhere
Your loss too Grant," says Mrs.
Brand. "Your future wife'-with a
smile at Millicent-''will lose little of
her prestige now she has ceased to be the
possessor of these famous jewels"
my future wife," says Grant grace
fully, twill not need the addition of any
jewels to make her the most beautiful
woman in England"
''Ye gods!n cries Miss Grey, springing
suddenly to her feet and rushing across
the room to mirror. Gam l thatS
The most beautiful woman in England!
Am / that now, my good GranitY Or is
it the fact of being your wife that will
make me so'''
Snow, of course. And then, too,
hope"
"Wrong now, at all events, my
friend" after an exhaustive eXamina-
tion of her pretty form in the mirror.
81 know some one at this very moment
who is unspeakably better worth looking
at than am"
LADY Landing?"
"No! I prefer myself to her. I was
thinking of my little friend-my youth
full MISUNDERSTANDING Roche. By the
bye, what a singular thing that you have
never seen her"
"Quite as singular that she has never
seen me.n
''She did-once.n
Boyle turns straight round and looks
at her. He had been teasing the parrot
up to this. Though he does not speak,
something in his face compels her to an
swer him as though he had done so.
"Yes-once, really; 80 you are not as
unknown to fame as you imagine"
'She told you soS"
'She confessed as much. But, as you
seem modest about it, perhaps it will
comfort you to learn that what she did
see was only the back Of your head, and
bit of your nose. You know, if you
will wear your nose so long you cannot
expect it to altogether escape observa-
tion.n
Grant, LAUGHS
$50 that was all she saw She can have
no idea then what good looking fellow
am" he says, with mischievous shrug.
"Not the slightest. Your persistent re-
fusal to oblige all your admirers by sit
ting to photographer has put it out Of
my power to give Nadine some faint idea
Of your charms"
"Just as we'll; she might have been
overpowered by them," returns Grant,,
who has gone back to his task Of reduc-
ing the parrot to state of frenzy.
"Not that | believe in photographs"
goes on Millicent. "There is Lefty Lums-
den, she looks like Venus on card
board-like a dairymaid in the flesh"
"To say nothing of Mrs. DENLY, who
looks like saint in the flesh, and like 3
Bacchante, as portrayed by Dessemains.
I'm rather glad I'm out Of it, rejoice
10 IHluh llll lace Is Sllll NY OW IL
with curious little laugh-'are dan
gerous."
''If every one thought that the detec-
tives would be oftener at fault than they
are," says Mrs. Brand. photographs
lave been the means Of bringing many
criminals to Justice"
"As have said-they are dangerous"
replies her nephew
II wish we had some picture of the
wretch who has robbed Millicent"
But you see you haven't"
"You take it very easily-yet you must
regret the jewels, Grant," says Mrs.
Brand, fretfully, who is of opinion that
nothing now should be thought of but
the irreparable loss her niece has sus-
tanned, and who regards the present
frivolity as being distinctly in bad taste,
considering all things. Indeed, she
would have considered it hardly out of
place If some one had pulled down the
blinds and put muffiing on the knocker.
~ assure you / do not regret them. /
have nothing to regret" returns he,
laughing lightly. Then he looks at Mil
licent. ''How can find room for regret
when see my cousin safe and wellf'
Millicent is as touched by his manner
as it would be possible for him to move
her,
Certainly he bears the loss of those
Jewels very well, she says to herself;
''and he used to be their most extrava-
giant admirer, Sometimes it irritated me
to think he looked upon them with pro-
prietorial eye, but after all / believe /
wronged him. II they were still in my
possession or in his he could not be more
unconcerned"
She gives him little kindly glance as
reward for this, which seems TO afford
him some secret amusement.
"The thing that puzzles me-" goes on
Mrs. Brand who cannot keep her mind
off the subject, sis how the miscreant
got in. Certainly Brown confesses he is
not in the habit of putting up the chain
at night-a most reprehensible neglect, for
which have severely censured him; bat,
admitting that do not see how the burg
lar could have had door key exactly
ike ours 1t is one of most peculiar
pattern; poor Mr. Brand quite prided him
self on it. "
1.-THE more peculiar, the easier TO take
an impression of it" says Grant,
"To take an impresson9-to get false
key madey But that means you would
suspect the servants. l could not do
that, they are all old servants-old
friends, indeed, might almost say"
"You are like my mother. She will not
belieye the servants We're implicated in
the diamond robbery at valworth; yet
II she had taken my advice a recovery
might have been effected. Mind, do not
say 1t would, says Capt. Boyle, who
seems determined to give everyone q
chance; 81 only say it might"
"But-but surely you would not at
tach suspicion to BrownW says Mrs.
Brand, neryously, who is easily swayed.
"Ihere are other servants in the house
besides Brown and people come and gC
--ehgn
mo one comes and goes except Miss
Rochei you would not spspect her, sup